Keystone Species
What is a keystone native plant?
The term “keystone” plant, popularized by noted entomologist Douglas W. Tallamy, refers to the critical piece of a stone arch that holds it together. Without it, the arch collapses.
Keystone plants are native plant species that play an outsized role in supporting the local food web. Although all native plants can contribute to biodiversity, a comparatively small number host especially large numbers of native insects—particularly moth and butterfly caterpillars. Those insects turn plant leaves into food for spiders, amphibians, reptiles, and birds, including many songbirds that rely on caterpillars to feed their young. In this way, keystone plants help move energy from the sun and vegetation into the broader community of wildlife.
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| Scientific Name | Common Name(s) | Supports Pollinators | Number of Lepidotera Species Genus Supports Sort ascending | Number of Pollen Specialist Bees that Rely on this Genus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swida amomum | Silky dogwood | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Tradescantia ohiensis | Ohio spiderwort, Smooth spiderwort | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Baccharis halimifolia | Groundsel tree, High-tide bush, High tide bush | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Mimulus ringens var. ringens | Allegheny monkeyflower, Square-stemmed monkeyflower | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Viburnum acerifolium | Maple-leaf viburnum, Dockmackie | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Erythronium americanum | Yellow trout lily, American trout lily | Bees | ||
| Phlox paniculata | Garden phlox, Fall phlox | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Liatris spicata | Dense blazing star, Dense gayfeather, Dense liatris, Marsh blazing star, Marsh gayfeather, Marsh liatris | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds, Monarchs | ||
| Helenium flexuosum | Southern sneezeweed, Purple-headed sneezeweed | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Rhus copallinum | Winged sumac, Flameleaf sumac, Shining sumac | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Itea virginica | Virginia sweetspire, Virginia-willow | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Symphyotrichum cordifolium | Blue wood aster, Heart-leaved aster | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Baptisia australis | Blue false indigo, Blue wild indigo, False blue indigo | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Monarda didyma | Scarlet beebalm, Oswego tea | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Viburnum nudum | Southern wild raisin, Possum-haw, Possum-haw viburnum | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Bignonia capreolata | Cross-vine, Crossvine | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Eubotrys racemosus | Fetterbush, Swamp dog-hobble | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Phlox pilosa | Downy phlox | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Morella cerifera | Wax myrtle, Southern bayberry | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Lilium superbum | Turk's-cap lily | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Helianthus decapetalus | Thin-leaved sunflower, Ten-petaled sunflower, Thinleaf sunflower | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Rhus glabra | Smooth sumac | Bees, Butterfiles | ||
| Teucrium canadense | Canada germander, American germander | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Clematis virginiana | Virgin's bower, Virgin's-bower | Bees, Butterfiles, Hummingbirds | ||
| Justicia americana | Common water-willow, American water-willow | Bees, Butterfiles |